Think for yourself!

“Take the risk of thinking for yourself , much more happiness , truth, beauty, and wisdom will come to you that way ..” Christopher Hitchens

I do not understand why people today (worldwide) allow celebrities to dictate or even influence what they should believe, do, eat, wear and even who they should vote for. 

It was obvious the influence celebrities TRIED to have on the 2016 elections in the United States.  A lot of people allowed celebrities to influence their vote.  If you are a celebrity in the Philippines it is almost a guarantee you can win any political position you seek.  Your fame will outweigh your  need for the right qualifications nearly every time.

If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask a celebrity, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly their opinions on life, and they are more than happy to give it to you freely.  I say this sarcastically.

I know I may seem a bit weird or a lot weird to some, but what celebrities think or say have never made me feel happy, content, hopeful, encouraged, or confident.  No I do not know the name of the MOVIE STAR in the latest movies I have seen and do not care to know.  All I care is did I like the movie or not. 

I do not care what these people think, none of whom I know personally, and all of whom live in a world that is so far out of my reach that we have remarkably little in common. If I and one of their domestic staff met in church or any public place I  would have more in common with their staff member than I would the celebrity.

The same is true of CELEBRITY preachers today.  I am not impressed or focusing  on the prophets and teachers and evangelists that millions of Christians come to follow, and worship, as being wiser, more righteous, and blessed than the rest of us.  I have actually have had people tell me, “They’re rich and well-known so that must be a sure sign of God’s favor.”  No, they just  have a charismatic personality and would be good at selling anything and they would make good con artist.  It could have come from the devil or God.  I have always believed this, but recently when Bishop Jake of Potter House in Dallas, Texas said in an interview that “SELLING Jesus is not all that difficult because it is a GOOD PRODUCT and when presented correctly it will SELL ITSELF.”  I take that to mean hurting and desperate people will fall for a line of hope every time if you are charismatic and have sales abilities.

When the Great Christians Leaders give their opinions on homosexuality, people listen, nod their heads, and say, “Prophet Pulpit said it, so it must be right.” When they promote boycotting a store, the believers do it because their Prophet Pulpit is always right.  After all who am I to question Prophet's? When sensible preachers meet with ecumenical leaders to share in a prayer service, some Christians wring their hands, wondering, “Why do they  do this? Pastor Pulpit said it was wrong. Do they not know that Catholics and Evangelical Protestants differ on fundamental issues? and that Jewish people and Christians differ on a REALLY major issue?

The followers of celebrity Christians do not have enough faith in God or confidence in himself to seek wisdom, considering themselves spiritually unqualified to process the tough issues facing people who live in the world today, after all that is what they have been told from the pulpit by these celebrity preachers.  They think if they do not listen to the celebrity preachers and priest they only have mass-media to give them direction in the 21st century.   What about the HOLY SPIRIT, PRAYER, the brain God gave them and their own personal experiences.

God did not call us to be robots of celebrities.   The world is filled, and has always been filled, and will always be filled with difficult issues — difficult because they involve people — and no smart little saying on television, Tweet, or email from any CELEBRITY is going to solve the world’s problems and we certainly should not allow them to think for us.  Some allow others to think for them because they are lazy and it is the easy way to avoid responsibilities.  Simply put not everyone wants to be wise. We actually have to work at becoming wise.

People need wisdom, and wisdom — unlike money, power, celebrity status, and fame is not out of reach of ordinary people. Wisdom is available for the asking, if we only would ask.  You do not have to be a genius to have wisdom.  I know lots of people with extremely high I.Q.’s that lack in wisdom (common sense) and others with little to no formal education that are VERY wise.  Wisdom and understanding are not something you purchase with tuition and class fees, it is a daily, lifelong process of growth.

I have a friend that constantly puts himself down because he looks for the possible negatives in relationships, decisions in general and especially business deals.  I think that is wise.  It means to me he is dealing with reality.  It does not mean he is ignoring the positives, it is only means he is trying to prepare or prevent the negatives.  Being a “happy go lucky” person is not wisdom.  Wisdom means being able to bear the good and the bad in mind simultaneously.

Proverbs 3:13 says, "Happy is the man (or woman) who finds wisdom and the man (or woman) who gets understanding." Proverbs 24:13–14 says, "My son (daughter), eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off." Proverbs 16:16, "To get wisdom is better than gold; to get understanding is to be chosen over silver." It is a matter of life and death.  The ultimate, eternal happiness that all people long for will only be found by those who first "get wisdom."

Wise people do not let others do their thinking and make their decision.  They listen to all advice and then seek guidance from the Holy Spirit and make their own decision.  

Mary the Mother of God - WHO?

I have often said and written many Catholics recite words at Mass that have absolutely no meaning to them.  They recite Catholic prayers out of habit that they memorized long ago.  They have become just words.

Then to my shock I found that I am as guilty as anyone else.  "Holy Mary Mother of God" - "Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with you,- blessed are you among women, blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus.  HOLY MARY MOTHER OF GOD...."  I have said the rosary thousands upon thousands of times and just recently it hit me - Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ.

Many Catholic prayers have in them "Mary the Mother of God".

Those of us who believe in a triune God believe there is ONE God, but three separate and distinct Beings. The Trinity is really impossible to explain and one must except it on faith.  I was told in seminary to describe it like this - water is a liquid, water can become ice and water can become steam.  That is not really a good analogy because water is not liquid, solid and gas ALL at the same time. God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit exist all at the same time.

The Jehovah Witnesses, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints (Mormons), Christian Scientists and others do not believe in the Trinity.  Some Christians teach Christ was born with divinity and others say Christ got His divinity on earth from the Father.  It is said by some when Jesus was baptized and the Father spoke from heaven and said, "This is my beloved Son" is when Jesus Christ got His divinity.

There is much about God that man or woman cannot and will not understand while on this earth.  It is a shame that a lot of theologians believe they must be able to answers everyone's questions instead of saying "I DO NOT KNOW".

If Mary was the mother of GOD that would mean she was before GOD (Father) and no one believes that. Many will say that is not a big deal so why even mention it.  I say we should think about what we say because I am sure the atheist think about every word we say.

Did men in the Catholic Church centuries ago use "Mary Mother of God" to put more emphasis on Mary?

I wish I could take credit for realizing what we were saying, but I did not.  In all my ministry no one every question me about that phrase, but an eight year of little girl recently ask me "Father, is Mary the mother of the Father and the Son or just the Son?" WOW!  I guess the poor child was thinking something weird is going on here if Mary was the mother of the Father and the Son.

We must accept that the nature of the Trinity is debated among Christian denominations.  Trinitarian denominations use quotes from the Bible to support their interpretation and those that do not believe likewise can quote scripture to support their beliefs.  It is all in the interpretation.  Who is right and who is wrong - I DO NOT KNOW, but one day we will know.

I do not think God holds us responsible for honest mistakes.  I would leave any church or denomination that said, "You must believe our way or you are destine for hell". What  arrogance to think you are on God's level and understand everything God said the way He meant it.

Christians wouldn't act that way - really!

Really: How do they act:

You have a “I love Jesus sticker on your bumper” and you pass me going twice the speed limit in a school zone.

I look in my rear view mirror and I cannot tell if you are pushing me or following me, but you do have a cross hanging from your rear view mirror.

You have a “What would Jesus do?” sticker on your rear window and I am sitting behind you watching you blow your horn and shoot the finger at someone taking too long at the stop sign.

You leave church an when you get to the parking lot you see someone has parked too close to your car and the first thing that comes out of your mouth is “Goddamn fool”.  I witness that two Sundays ago.

Its almost laughable when I see people at church (my neighbor) treating others as if they were mortal enemies. Gossiping behind others backs, silently and verbally wishing for their failure, and coveting their possessions.

There’s nothing wrong with a friendly debate among people of the same or different denominations…but when you end up telling me I am not a Christian because I am Catholic and insist on holding it against me…then you have forgotten what Christianity is all about.

When you post Bible verses on my email and go to church each week and I know you are married and using a singles site on the Internet. It makes me question if I even want to be a Christian.

How do you think you’ll ever be able to convince someone that they should investigate Christianity if their only interaction with Christianity is you and you demonstrate qualities even the unbeliever does not want to have.  Have you ever considered that you’re actually hurting Christ more than helping Him with how you treat others? Do you really think that showing up on Sunday and listening to the band or singing in the choir is going to bring others to Christ?

Christ said that you should “let your light so shine” so that others will want to come unto Him. Is your shining light a a red warning light to avoid Christians? Perhaps you are like a fire hydrant extinguishing any light that might be burning faintly within others.

If you call yourself a Christian…then just start loving others and overlooking their faults. Stop trying to make everyone else pay for their sins. God’s got that under control. Become an ambassadors of mercy instead of trying to replace God by being judge and jury. If you make that change you’ll never have to beg someone to listen to your message about Christ again.

There’s not a day that goes by when I don’t see some conservative going on and on about how the Republican party is the party of “good Christian values” and everyone else (specifically liberals) is waging some kind of war on religion. Going to church doesn’t make someone a Christian. Christianity is based on a belief in Jesus Christ and one’s attempt to live their life based on the values for which He taught.

I have really noticed from the comments following the Orlando shooting on social sites and media sites how many conservative Christians base their devotion to their faith on how strong their opposition is to homosexuality.

These are some other things that I have really noticed over the last eight years -Prosperity minsters make all Christians sound like our religion is based on GREED. It seems some Christians believe Jesus Christi would have an AR-15 strapped to His back - that is not a Christian issue that is a political issue. Christians should be  teaching acceptance and tolerance of others, but many are not.  That we’re all humans and it seems some have forgotten that - we all sin.  That we should treat each other with respect and kindness - calling others derogatory names does not seem to fulfill that Christian obligation. Some of the comments certainly do not reflect love and kindness.  Many Christians seem to have forgotten that whole “love our neighbor” thing. Do we should think we should try and FORCE our beliefs on others and judge them stupid heathens if they do not agree with us - God does not - that is why God gave us ‘free will". God gave us the right to choose to believe or not believe. God said “fear not” why are so many Christians on social media sites expressing fear of those that do not agree with their beliefs – I have faith God will prevail. 

Our actions outside of church are what matters the most to others wanting what we claim to have.

Don't fight ISIS - Islamic radical terrorist love them!

I just read an article written by JR Vassar the lead pastor, Church at the Cross, Grapevine, Texas.  He claims, “I am saddened by the tendency of some Christians to call for the sending of missiles upon our nation’s enemies more than to pray for the sending of missionaries to the hardest places.” When is he leaving for Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan? I am capable of praying for both.

He admits, “The Islamic State is a horrific evil and must be stopped. The destruction it is bringing on innocent life and human civilization is heartbreaking and should fill us with righteous indignation. Likely, it will take the international community to defeat the Islamic State, and it will almost certainly mean military conflict.” Who does he expect to volunteer for the military conflict non-Christians?

He is, “… grieved that some influential pastors and Christian leaders eagerly call for the bombing of regions that will inevitably lead to the destruction of human life (innocent image-bearers who suffer as collateral damage), and do so without tears and a broken heart.” I do not know of any Christian leader that would call for the bombing of ISIS if they thought there was another way.  I also do not think any Christian leader has ever called for the destruction of ISIS without having a heavy heart when doing so.

He suggested we, “Pray for our enemies and desire their salvation.” He claims God would want us to show them mercy and give them an opportunity to repent. He knows that is what God would want us Christians to do. If he believes in the literal translation of the Bible he must know that God called for the destruction of innocent women, children and animals of the Israelites enemies. I do not believe in the literal translation of the Bible so I think it was more the men of Israel that wanted their destruction, rather than God, but they may have thought that was what God wanted them to do.  The same as Reverend Vassar thinks he knows what God wants us to do as it pertains to the terrorist. If God wanted the enemies of the Israelites destroyed, but does not want our enemies destroyed does that mean God loved the Israelites more than He loves us?

He went on to write, “Our call is to follow the command and example of Jesus who told us to love our enemies and pray for them, and who himself laid his life down for his enemies, even praying for their forgiveness as they killed him. Again, if we are calling for missiles, but not praying for missionaries, we have lost touch with the heart of God.” I am sorry, but I am not prepared to have my throat cut by the followers of ISIS and honestly I do not think he is either. It is easy for him to write or say the things he does from Grapevine, Texas. I guess if his wife and children were caught in a terrorist situation he would prefer to allow them to be slaughtered than try to kill his enemy.

Jesus was not fighting a foreign enemy He was trying to reform His own people – the Jews. Jesus did not have a military, but he had no problem displaying his anger in the temple turning over the tables of the money changers. King David had a military given to him by God and he certainly used it. If we are going to use Biblical comparison King David and his enemies are more like our enemy ISIS and Muslim terrorist than Jesus and His enemies. If it was Protestants and Catholics (Ireland) fighting over differences I would agree with Reverend Vassar, but it is not. It is good versus evil!  

He admits that as we pray to God we know there will never be peace on this earth, “…we know that ultimately complete peace and justice are a world away, in the new heavens and new earth.”

He says, “We do not need to fear Muslims, but love them, befriend them, and seek to share the good news of Jesus with them.” I do love some Muslims, those that are not trying to kill me, my caregiver is Muslim.

I probably have more experience dealing with Muslims than he does, since I have lived on the Island of Mindanao in the Philippines for the past ten years. I live in Davao, but I am not about to travel to Cotobato or Sula where Muslim terrorist are kidnapping foreigners regularly. I welcome him to come to Southern Mindanao at any time and love the Muslim terrorist and the Communist insurgents to the peace table. The Philippine government has been trying to do it for thirty years and have failed.

 “We are not Americans first, but Christians first. We belong to a kingdom that is not of this world — a kingdom with no boundaries or borders. We may disagree on policy or diplomacy, but infinitely more important is that we agree on Jesus, his rule, and his great love for his people and for this world. We don’t have to be divided by our lesser loyalties when we are united by our greatest loyalty.” This all sounds good, but it is not realistic when it comes to dealing with terrorist in 2015. I do not think God intends for us to let Islamic terrorist cut our heads off, destroy our religion, invade our country and not resist.

I think a diplomatic solution would be impossible with groups like ISIS or other groups of Islamic Muslim Terrorist. Reverend Vassar wrote Jesus faced radicals and He did not try to kill them if I am not mistaken Jesus was killed.  Jesus knew pain, suffering, persecution and terrorism first hand is Reverend Vassar willing to do the same, is he willing to sacrifice his family without a fight, I am not.

If men like Reverend Vassar had reached out to the young men that make up ISIS and other terrorist groups a decade ago maybe we would not be in the mess we are in today. I think Reverend Vassar should consider that perhaps the church failed in reaching out to the Arabs in the Middle East.

Paul was once a terrorist killing Christians just at ISIS is doing today and he came to accept Christ as his Savior so there is hope. But, who is willing to go today and try to convert ISIS members. Is Reverend Vassar willing, if not he should not be so asking someone else to.

Jesus’ way of putting His enemies in their place was by shaming them. How does Reverend Vassar propose that we shame ISIS?

Christian leaders should have taken more seriously education reform, business opportunities, economic reforms and employment opportunities in Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Africa and Afghanistan and maybe there would be no ISIS today. Was Reverend Vassar pushing for those reforms prior to now?

I am not Reverend Pat Robertson and I do not say, “Convert or die”. I would like to see them convert to Christianity, but that is not a requirement for me to have peace. But, I do not think it is possible for us now to love the members of ISIS to a negotiated peace. I say that because they are telling us, “Convert or die”.

The Iraqi Christians since 2003 until about 2014 were known for being passive. They finally realized they could no longer be passive and stay alive. Unfortunately they began to stand up for their religious liberty and their freedom too late. Are Americans being ask to do the same by religious leaders like Reverend Vassar? Are we going to wait for ISIS to tell us to convert, pay a tax or die as they did the Christians in Mosul? Did not Obama take the passive role and allow ISIS to grow stronger, accomplish more evil and kill more Christians?

I am not for the destruction of ISIS only because they are killing Christians. I am for the destruction of ISIS because I am against any group of people that practice genocide against a weaker group of people.

ISIS is nothing more than a gang like those in any large city in the United States that kill people in order to expand their territory.  They both are criminals (terrorists) who are determined to murder people in order to gain control. They must be stopped and I truly believe God condemns their actions.

I do not believe God expects us to only pray and take no defensive action against them. Most of us do not sit back and refuse to work and expect God to feed us. Most of us do not refuse to take preventive action to maintain our health simply because we believe God can heal us. Most of us would not sit down on the couch and watch while a robber took our belongings and possibly raped our wife and do nothing but pray. Why do some Christians expect us to only pray and take no military action to protect our families, neighbors, country and us?

I believe in prayer and I have no doubt that pray is powerful, but I also believe God expects us to take action along with prayer. Why don’t we just stop being charitable and pray to God to take care of the poor, orphans and widows?  

Teachings of Pope Francis - Part V

Our goal is not to proselytize but to listen to needs, desires, disappointments, despair and hope. We must restore hope to young people, help the old, be open to the future and spread love. We need to include the excluded and preach peace.

You cannot know Jesus without having problems. We only come to know Jesus on the daily path of life … in order to know Jesus; we need to enter into a dialogue with Him. If you don’t pray, you don’t know Him.

What will my cross be like? We do not know, but there will be a cross and we need to ask for the grace not to flee when it comes.

Faith contains the memory of our encountering God.

A people who do not take care of their elderly and their children have no future. The only commandment which brings with it a blessing is the fourth, the commandment which regards honoring our parents and the elderly.

God is in every person’s life even if the life of a person has been a disaster. You must try to seek God in every human life. There is always a space in which the good seed can grow.

Charity is simple: worshiping God and serving others.

Let us respect creation, let us not be instruments of destruction! Let us respect each human being. May there be an end to armed conflicts. May hatred yield to love, injury to pardon and discord to unity. Let us listen to the cry of all who are suffering and who are dying because of violence.

We can all flee from God. This is a daily temptation: not to listen to God, not to hear His voice, not to hear His promptings His invitation in our hearts.

Are you able to find the Word of God in the history of each day or do your ideas so govern you that you do not allow the Lord to speak to you?

Today let us all ask ourselves do I remain caught up in forms of material security, taking refuge in my own projects and plans. Do I truly let God into my life?

God asks us to be faithful to Him in our everyday life, even if we are sometimes unfaithful to Him, He remains faithful to us. He never tires of stretching out His hand to lift us up, to encourage us to come back and tell Him of our weakness, so that he can grant us His strength.

Saying “thank you” is such an easy thing and yet so hard! How often do we say “thank you” to one another in our families? These are essential words for our life. “Sorry,” “excuse me,” “thank you” - If families can say these three things, they will be fine. How often do we say “thank you” to those who help us. All too often we take everything for granted! This happens with God. It is easy to approach the Lord to ask for something, but do we thank Him.

God invites us to pray. Prayer makes us feel God’s presence. Persevering prayer is the expression of faith in God.

If money and material things become the center of our lives they seize us and make us slaves.

The Kingdom of Heaven is for those who do not place their security in material things, but in love for God.

 

Should Pastors wear clerical attire?

In the States we always wore a clergy collar.  When we got up in the morning we put on black pants, black clergy shirt, white collar, black socks, black shoes and our normal white underwear. We reminded ourselves of our status as His servants by putting on the attire that proclaims for all to see that God is still working in this world through the ministers of His Gospel. Clerical clothes should be a badge of service, not honor.

The vast majority of Protestant ministers do not wear clergy collars because those funny looking white tabs or rounded white collars that ministers wear are most identified with Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran traditions.

Clergy who wear a clergy collar do not have to explain themselves, their role, who they are, or what they are doing.  The vast majority of people who see clergy wearing a clergy collar in a hospital understand he or she is there visiting a sick patient. I also discovered that many surprising courtesies were given to me because of the collar: helpful pointers, extended visitation time, access to sensitive areas of the hospital and quality time with hospital staff.

Many evangelical Christians scoff at the idea of a minister wearing a clergy collar.  A collar is too Catholic. It’s not. Actually, it was a protestant minister who created the white collar. The Rev. Donald Mcleod, a Scottish Presbyterian minister, invented the detachable clerical collar in 1894, though other forms existed before 1894.

Wearing a clergy collar is something I did not take lightly. It is not something I wore for show or for respect. Just as a police officer wears a uniform, or a doctor wears a lab coat, ministers wear clergy collars as a way to identify their purpose.  Many at funerals, hospitals, airports or on the street have asked me questions about faith or wanted prayer simply because I was wearing a clergy collar.

In a culture where symbols and images are highly valued, a clergy collar is a way to communicate that a pastor is present and open to ministering to the needs of others. Wearing a clergy collar allows others to know that a clergy person is there to serve. As a minister, I also wore a clergy collar to remind myself that I had a responsibility to be Christ like, especially when in public. It is hard to disappear in a crowd if you make a fool of yourself in a clergy collar.

A minister in a clerical collar is a walking testimony. The sight of a cheerful, happy minister confidently walking down the street can even be a magnet drawing people towards God.

Some Christians will say Jesus wore the clothing of the working man, not special clothes of the clergy. That may be true some of the time, but Jesus must have worn the clothing of a rabbi at other times because people walked up to Jesus out of the blue, addressed Him immediately as “teacher,” which the New Testament informs us is the translation of the word “rabbi.” Without knowing who He was, they knew what He was, because they asked him to do rabbinical things: to heal the sick, cast out demons, settle disputes, probate wills, and decide religious issues. There were times when Jesus must not have been dressed as a rabbi because the people did not understand how he knew what He did about God. While Jesus definitely did not wear a black shirt with a white collar, He obviously at times wore the first-century equivalent. So clergy who wear clericals may be imitating Christ.

Do you let the little things in life bug you?

A driver laid on his horn when I was trying to get into a taxi the other morning. The taxi driver pulled to the side of the road and the driver could have gone around, but instead he decided to make a fool of himself. I walked up to the taxi, open the door, the man kept blowing and I lost my temper (lost control of my emotions). I started yelling beep, beep, beep, beep, and shook my walking cane at him. He made a fool of himself and I made a bigger fool of myself. I allowed a man I did not know make my blood pressure rise and ruin my morning.  What should I have done – I should have just ignored him!

Life is full of little hurts and disappointments. Every day these little irritations, if we allow them to, will needlessly cause our bodies to go into fight-or-flight mode. Stress hormones surge into our bloodstream, our hearts beat faster; our blood pressure soars and our muscles become tense.

What are we to do? We need to learn to control our emotions and just ignore them!
We may not be able to control the circumstances that come our way, but we can control how we respond to them. Learning to respond to situations rather than reacting is a key factor in managing daily stress.

But how do we do that? How do we avoid holding onto the anger or irritation or resentment that comes from all the little things that are thrown at us each day? And how often do we need to forgive these acts - or ignore them?

Peter asked a similar question in Matthew 18: “Lord, if another sins against me, how often should I forgive…?”

Peter was asking, in essence, “Lord, if Andrew or James wrongs me, how often do I need to forgive them?” They were Peter’s friends. Jesus surprised Peter by answering, “No, not seven times, but seventy times seven times,” a phrase that meant an infinite number of times. This rule does not apply only to family and friends it applies to the strangers that blow their horn at us, run their grocery cart into our car in the parking lot, wave an unfriendly hand at us when we are driving too slow and fail to hold the door open when we are walking in right behind them. Oh yes, cut in a line we have been waiting in for 45 minutes. We need to ignore these little inconveniences. If we do we will live longer and will live happier lives.

Jesus was telling Peter, and through Peter each of us, that we are to ignore the little things. Our lives are meant to be characterized by grace and forgiveness. Jesus was asking us to say, “You’ve wronged me and I could hold onto my anger, demanding some kind of satisfaction, but I choose instead to let it go and not hold it against you any longer.”

Often, others aren’t even aware that we feel they have wronged us. They don’t know to ask forgiveness. So, somewhere along the way we’ve got to find the capacity to let it go – ignore it.

Before you lose it remember your own shortcomings. When you feel that somebody has offended you, stop and consider how many times you’ve done something similar.

Try to assume the best of the person who has slighted you. What’s going on with the other person? Has he or she had a bad day or not feeling well or experiencing any other circumstances that could cause shortness with you?

Pray for the person and about the situation. Jesus told us to pray for those who may not treat us well and to love them. The Apostle Paul, quoting the Proverbs, told us not to return evil for evil, but to return blessing instead.

Once you begin practicing doing these things it can almost become a game. In the process, you can avoid being caught up in anger or irritation and every once in a while, the blessings you return might just have a remarkable impact. Someone might one day just say, "sorry".

Remember the only thing you truly have control over is yourself, right here, right now and sometimes you cannot even control yourself. The other morning was a fine example of my not being in control of me. I can guarantee you, due to my not following my rule about dealing with the little stuff, the incident bothered me more than it bothered the unknown man!

 

What do you think of politicians who use religion to try and win elections?

Donald Trump knew exactly what he was doing when he said, “I’m Presbyterian, boy, that’s down the middle of the road, folks, in all fairness. I mean, Seventh-day Adventist, I don’t know about. I just don’t know about.” He was attempting to alienate evangelical Christian voters in Iowa, who like Dr. Ben Carson. In painting a religion as unknown, Trump seems to me to be suggesting there must be something wrong with Carson’s faith. Trump or his advisors knew that Evangelical Christian’s are a bit suspicious of the Mormon and Seven-day Adventist faith.

The church of Carson’s choice has already touched and will continue to touch the lives of millions of faithful followers around the world, even if Trump is ignorant of the denomination. They own and operate hospitals and clinics. In fact The Adventist lifestyle, which encourages abstinence from alcohol, tobacco, caffeine and meat, is credited with extending lifespan. Studies have proven that those that follow the Adventist lifestyle live on average seven years longer.

In addition to providing excellent medical care the Adventists maintain a large education system, from kindergarten through postgraduate. They train approximately 1.8 million students around the world at any given time.  The low-cost, high-quality Adventist education is often a way up to escape poverty, especially in Third World countries.

Adventism is a Protestant Christian faith granted somewhat different from Trump’s Presbyterian religion. They worship on Saturday instead of Sunday as all Christians did until the Catholic Church selected Sunday as the Sabbath. They use the same Bible as all other Protestant denominations. They strongly believe that religious liberty belongs to all people, everywhere. They do not believe any writings should take preference over the Bible.

Donald Trump’s comment demonstrated his ignorance, but I am sure there are millions of Adventist that would like to inform him about their faith.  Donald Trump is not the first nor will he be the last who will try to use religion to win elections or destroy opponents. Politicians in Singapore created racial and religious riots in the 1960s. The religious issue is used often in Malaysia in an attempt to win elections. I am Republican, but I have to be honest it seems to me that the Republicans play the God card more than the Democrats. Most politicians would use almost anything, God included, to win elections and to maintain power.

Instead of using God and religion to divide us, I would like to see politicians use religion to unite us.  Christianity according to Jesus is to be used to unite and not divide. I am tired of politicians who have probably never studied the Bible using O.T. scriptures to try and influence voters. My party the Republican Party has been cherry-picking from the Old Testament for years to bash gays and justify capital punishment. If I am not mistaken Christianity began with the words, actions and life of Jesus, not Leviticus and Exodus. The use of Old Testament Biblical scripture to justify a "moral agenda" for America is clearly wrong.

A general lack of Biblical and Christian understanding on the part of Americans has allowed the GOP to present itself as "God's Official Party." The reality is that any reading and interpretation of the New Testament will show that Jesus was not conservative, nor Republican.

Our Founders were correct when they proclaimed that the separation of church and state is paramount for our government. The invoking of God and Jesus Christ by our elected representatives is shameful, but not as shameful as Americans who believe that Jesus-God would take sides in a political debate.

What makes you happy?

Do you even know what would make you happy? A lot of people believe if only I had this or that I would be happy or happier. I can guarantee you getting the right stuff will not make you happy or happier. Just look at the movie stars who are extremely wealthy.  Daily we read of their unhappiness, drug abuse, relationship failures and bad choices.  Then look at people in Third World countries that have little to nothing and they are smiling and happy. The people in the Philippines are a good example that you can be poor and be happy.  

The people around you have more to do with your happiness than money or material goods. If you want to experience unhappiness and depression surround yourself with unhappy and negative people. You will soon become unhappy, negative and discontent.

I have been at the bedside of many people who were dying. I have never heard one person ask a family member or friend to bring their expensive automobile to the parking lot so they could gaze upon it from the hospital window. I have often heard them request friends or family members to contact a loved one so they could spend a few last moments with them.

Have you noticed that happy people are most likely people who are at peace with God? I believe anything that undermines your peace with God will eventually make you unhappy. Peace with God allows you to be at peace with yourself and others. Jesus said the greatest command is love God, self and one another. Love gives you the capacity to be peaceful and extend peace to others. People love peaceful people and avoid trouble makers. It may be hard to believe, but if you are at peace with God and self you can remain at peace when you are being persecuted.

Some people have come to believe that you cannot be happy and serve God. I can assure you serving God will not stand in the way of anyone being happy. God created us to be happy. God is the way to happiness. Sinful pleasure separates us from God and others and will eventually bring unhappiness to us and others. Sinful pleasures may bring temporary happiness, but not lasting happiness.

People who depend on God are happy. People who believe God is in control of all their circumstances are happy. If you think you control the outcome of your life then you are sadly mistaken. My father thought he was financially secure and if something happen to him he had prepared for us to be financially secure. In 1957 his health began to deteriorate rapidly. The last days of his life cost us nearly $300,000 now keep in mind it was 1957 and 1958 not 2015. They did an experimental heart surgery replacing a valve in his heart with the valve of a pig. His last eleven days were spent begging my mother to let him die before she used up all the saving trying to keep him alive.

Some people allow the fear of dying to rob them of an opportunity to live. We must accept death as a part of life just as we accept birth as a part of life. There is no reason for those who believe in Jesus Christ to fear death. I am in the final stages of heart failure. I do not know how much longer I have, but I am determined the fear of death is not going to rob me of living what time I have left to the fullest. I no longer pray for healing, but I do pray for comfort in order to continue to serve God and others.

Meekness is your having the correct evaluation of you. Unfortunately today many have come to view meekness as weakness. Meek people can deal with the realities of life. They accept the valuation that God has of them. They strive to accomplish what God called them to do and do not strive to do more than they have the ability to do. Meek people are happy people.

Happy people do the right thing even when no one is looking. They do the right thing even if it cost them. Eventually doing the wrong things in life will catch up with you and you will regret them. Happiness follows moral decisions and unhappiness follows immoral decisions – always.

Generous people are happy people. God created us to serve and to give. Joy comes from helping others.  Our financial model should be to give, save and then spend the rest.

We reap what we sow. Farmers plant seeds, but they do not become plants the next morning, it takes time. Happiness takes time and it is a process. Foolishly some people plant bad seeds and because nothing happens immediately they think they have gotten away with their immorality.

There is a relationship between money and happiness, but the relationship is not how much money you have. The relationship between money and happiness is what you do with your money. The relationship you have with your money is what is important. Money in itself is not evil, but what you do with your money can be evil.

In today’s society our chief competition with our love of God is our love of money. It is impossible for both to be our master or to be number one in our lives. Our human nature leads us to want what we do not have. Greed is the result of mismanaging our money and trying to keep it all for ourselves. Greed can also be the results of fearing we will lose our money or need it at a later date and this leads us not to be charitable. This fear demonstrates a lack of faith in God to provide.

Debt makes us a slave to money. The more debt we have the more money we need to pay the debt and take care of our daily needs at the same time. Debt can easily rob you of your peace and happiness. We have all purchased things that we did not really need and later regretted it. Debt is the number one cause of divorces and relationships ending. I do not suggest that anyone get rid of all their credit cards, but I strongly suggest you manage your use of them wisely. For the past ten years I have not had one single credit card or bought one item on credit. I have chosen to wait until I had the money to pay for the purchase in cash and I assure you I am much happier. I also have more because I do not have interest payments.

You have more control of your happiness than anyone else. You can choose to be around positive people, you can choose to use your money wisely, you can choose to put God first in your life, you can choose to always do the right thing, and you can choose to be a reconciler and peacemaker.

Being unhappy can lead us to making bad choices because we are looking for a quick fix. Do not make major decisions when you are unhappy. There are no quick fixes in life.  Immoral pleasure is more tempting when we are unhappy so always prioritize your happiness over pleasure.

As long as you are always about you then you are not going to be happy. You are not enough to make yourself happy. We need God and others in our lives. We need good relationships. We need to share what we have with others. We need to be available to serve God and others.

I have heard it said a thousand times, “I do not have time to volunteer or serve.” I am telling you today you need to make time for serving others. Service will bring you true peace, joy and happiness.  God created us to give, serve and mentor. Selfishness may come natural, but that was not part of God’s plan for our lives.  Giving and serving are important life lessons to teach our children.

Jesus Christ gave his life for you! What have you freely givne to others? Learn to make sacrifices of your time and finances and happiness will follow!

What kind of giver are you - grudging or cheerful?

Deuteronomy 15:10 – “Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.”  2 Corinthians 9:7 – “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”  Proverbs 11: - “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” Romans 12:8 – “If it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

The above scriptures do not apply only to what you give to the church or to the Lord.  These scriptures apply to what you give to friends, family and the poor.  They include all types of giving.  The meaning is simple if you do not truly want to give a gift then do not give it.  No blessing comes to you when a gift is given out of obligation or resentment.  Many times people give only because someone asks them to give and they would be embarrassed to refuse.  Sometimes people give in hopes others will look favorably upon them.  Often people give simply because they do not have the courage to refuse.  Do you know the meaning of hypocrite?

Paul said, “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. “  The attitude behind the giving really matters.  There is a huge difference between giving stuff that you feel obligated to and cheerfully giving something to another person from the heart because it brings you joy.  Giving should bring you joy and happiness and when you give cheerfully it brings God joy.

Giving is a natural and a spiritual process.  Receiving plays a major part in that process because the giving is not complete until the gift is accepted.  Many say never refuse to accept a gift.  It is true; you really should not block someone's opportunity to receive a blessing.  But what if you know the gift was not given to you with the right attitude?  Should you accept a gift when you know someone did not want to give it?  Say the gift giver has deliberately avoided you for months or years and has not responded to you in that same period of time are you obligated to accept there gift.   If you did not accept the gift you would not be blocking a blessing because God is not going to bless that kind of giving in the first place.  Loveless giving is not Christian giving!

Refusing to accept a gift can deny a person the opportunity to extend a blessing to others that would bring them joy and happiness.  I have to admit it has always been difficult for me to accept gifts for I have never really needed anything.  I was reminded by an elderly lady of the harm I was doing when I refused a gift. She said to me, "Father it is not fair for you to deny me a bit of happiness when I give you a personal gift."

When we give we should ask ourselves what is the reason for our giving.  The Lord wants us to give for the right reasons.  Jesus warned His disciples not to give for the sake of being admired by men. "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them," Matthew 6:1.  We should seek God’s approval for our giving, rather than the praise and admiration of people.  Are you giving for God's praise or the praise of men? 

The question of accepting a gift from someone who does not like you or does not respect you or no longer wants to be friends with you can be a problem.  I do not believe refusing the gift in a polite way is a sin.

Some would say you should not refuse a gift because it may embarrass the giver, but what about the receiver’s feelings?  Should the receiver be a hypocrite and accept something that goes against their conscience?  I honestly believe some people continue to do wrong because they are allowed to get away with it.   I think we do wrong by trying to save the face of those who do not deserve to have their face saved.  I would prefer to be honest than be a hypocrite.

I personally do not want anything that someone gives to me grudgingly or with strings attached.  I have had gifts given to me that I could not use or someone else needed more than me and I have passed them on.  The giver would later find out and be enraged at me for giving their gift away.  This is one example of giving with strings being attached.  Once you give someone a gift that gift becomes the receivers free and clear unless you have an agreement beforehand. 

The question remains do you accept gifts from hypocrites.   I guess you have to weigh each situation.  Will others be hurt if you refuse the gift?  What is to be gained if you refuse the gift?  I do not think it is a sin to refuse a gift when you think it is morally wrong for you to accept it. Politicians are certainly acting immoral when they accept bribes.  Whatever you decide to do be polite and do it in love.  Do not do it in an attempt to get even or seek revenge.  Perhaps God will give you a triple blessing for swallowing your pride and saying ‘thank you’.  

I admit I have an issue with pride and it is hard for me to allow people to think they are pulling one over on me.  I often confront others when I think that is happening and sometimes I wish I had not.  I pray and work hard at trying to think before I react.  The tongue can truly be destructive.

How important is the church?

Many people do not see the church as very important.  Some say I am a good moral person.  I believe in God and treat my family and neighbours right.  Why do I need to be a member of the church?  Many young people have rejected "organized religion."  They may claim to accept Jesus, but want nothing to do with the church.  Some people see denominational division or hypocrisy in the church, and they want no part of it.  So they reject the whole idea of the church.  Others say it doesn't matter which church you attend or if you go to church, as long as you believe in Jesus.  So people conclude you don't need to be a member of any church as long as you believe in Jesus.

I do not claim any denomination is more important than another.   Denominations are not found in the New Testament and I do not believe they were ever part of God's plan.  They were added by men hundreds of years after Jesus' death and resurrection.  We can be saved without joining a denomination.  I strongly believe it makes a difference what church we go to and who shepherds that church.

I believe the church is essential to our relationship with God.  The church has an important role in God’s plan for our lives.  The Gospel clearly shows that Jesus planned and built His church and early Christians belong to that church.

Ephesians 2:16, 19 – “Jesus reconciled Jew and Gentile to God in one body through the cross. Therefore, we are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”  1st Timothy 3:15 - Paul wrote, “So we may know how to conduct ourselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God.”  Many people agree that we must be ‘born again’, but they often think ‘church’ membership does not matter.  These people need to consider the fact that being born again makes us members of the family of God; the church is the family of God. 

Christ is the Head of the body (church) Eph. 1:22, 23 and Col. 1:18.  Christ is the Head of no other institution. There is one body, Eph. 4:4-6, just as there is only one God.  I do not believe Christ the Head of an unimportant, non-essential institution. To belittle the church is to belittle Jesus! 

Matthew 3:2; 4:23 - Both John and Jesus emphasized preaching the Gospel of the kingdom.  We cannot preach the Gospel of Christ without preaching about the kingdom (church).  To attempt to preach the Gospel without preaching the ‘church’ would be to preach a different Gospel (Gal. 1:8). 

Ephesians 3:10, 11 - The church played a major role in the eternal purpose of God.  The ‘church’ should reveal the wisdom of God as part of His eternal purpose.  I believe God from the beginning planned the church.  It was not a last minute decision.  God planned the church centuries before it began.  Would the Creator and Ruler of the Universe go to such trouble for an insignificant institution?  Daniel 2:31-45 tells us Nebuchadnezzar dreamed of an image.  It prophesied that the kingdom (church) would begin during the Roman Empire.  Matthew 16:18 tells us Jesus promised to build His church.  Clearly it was important to Him. 

The main work of the church should be spiritual, to help people have a right relationship with God and not political.  The church we are talking about is the body of all saved people which God planned and Jesus built.  It is the kingdom of Christ, the family of God and not a denomination.  If worship and Gospel preaching are important, then the church is important, because these are what the Lord established the church to accomplish.  

I believe man made denominations created the division in God’s church, but I also believe the church is important enough to belong to a denomination.  Perhaps in our day and time denominations are a necessary evil.  Anyone attending any denomination should be open to the Holy Spirit and allow the Holy Spirit to direct their belief and not a denominational creed.  It is important to find a church or a denomination that encourages you, builds you up and brings you into a closer personal relationship with God.

I think it is extremely important that you find a church that teaches the importance of the Holy Spirit in your daily life.